Find The Ideal Back Massager: A Complete Back Massager Review Guide!

Hi! I am Jennie. I am a serial buyer, but one that likes to do her research, and as a result, I went through over a hundred back massagers before I decided on the right one for me. In my journey I have collected all my notes and present them to you on this site – after all, the right back massager for me, might not be the right one for you! Thanks for reading my reviews!

The Top 10 Back Massagers

If you want to see our top 10 back massagers for 2016 see the list below. They are all electric back massagers, and for a reason, these are hand free, specially formulated massaging machines, ranging from hand held, to cushion to seat pads that are brilliant for the back, and are based on genuine user reviews.

Scholl Energy Percussion Massager

Made by Scholl, one of the most reliable companies on the market, this highly reviewed hand held massager is perfect for all round massaging.

HoMedics Shiatsu Cushion with Remote Control

Homedics is another great brand in the market, and this Shiatsu Cushion massager is perfect for those days when you want to pamper your back! Its the number one seller on Amazon, with over 400 positive customer reviews giving it a rating of 4.4 out of a possible 5.

Features:

Shiatsu massage replicating a thumb massage

It is a heating cushion helping relax stiff and tension-ed muscles.

Although a back massager, it can be placed so as to massage shoulder and legs too.

Lifemax Heated Back and Seat Massager 226R

Sometimes just massaging your back just isnt enough, so if you are looking for a reasonably priced back massager that also targets your hips and thighs, them the lifemax heated back massager is the number one best sellerin massage seat pads.

HoMedics CBS-1000 Max Shiatsu Massaging Chair

Another seat cushion massager that makes the list, and from Homedics again. It is much more expensive than the lifemax cushion pad above, however the quality of construction and the number of features demand the price.

Naipo Pillow Massager Shiatsu Deep Kneading Massager

Pillow massagers are really popular due to their portability and flexibility to be able to be used in several areas. This Naipo pillow massager is currently the number one best seller on Amazon, and well worth buying. An affordable cushion massager that also makes a great gift.

Four brilliant deep needing shiatsu settings.

Heating setting with heat protection

Comes with a car charger making it a true portable back massager.

Can be used in a variety of areas, legs, calves, upper back, lower back, thighs and even your abdomen.

Naipo Shiatsu Kneading Massager with Heat

Naipo do a range of affordable massagers, and this strappable massager, although originally designed for the neck and back, is quite popular for those who like to lie down on their stomach when getting a back massage.

It has eight massage setting all focused on Shiatsu techniques.

Comes standard with a heat function.

As is common with Naipo products, it comes with a car adapter. allowing it to be a portable massager.

The U shaped design allows it to fit really well in curved portions of your body that other massagers may not.

Can be used in most areas, from calves to shoulder, to neck to lower and upper back.

Homedics Extended Track Shiatsu Massager with Heat

Homedics makes the list again with this extended track massager that is ideal for the full back. Specifically designed to offer more coverage than their other ranges, this medium priced chair cushion massager has an astounding 4.6 out of 5 star reviews, making it a star buy (excuse the pun!)

Homedics say that this massager gives an EXTRA 25% coverage than their other models.

Ideal for full back coverage under a single massage.

Heated massager

Designed to fit most chair types.

Choice between rolling massage and Shiatsu massage making it a dual massager

Wahl Spot Therapy Massager

Sometimes you just need a small spot massaged, and this Wahl may just hit the spot! It is the cheapest handheld massager on our list, under £9! ideal as a gift, and for light use. Running on two AA batteries, it wont pack a punch, but it will help knead out those small aches and pains if you dont want to use a larger more expensive massager. It is the number 1 seller in electric hand massagers, however this is probably because it makes a reasonably priced gift, rather than its long term benefits.

It has 2 speeds, soft and gentle and one for deep massage

Comes with 5 attachment types to vary massage types

It allows you to target specific points, which is why its popular as well.

Thumper Mini Pro (Percussive Hand Held Massager)

The final massager on our list is one that completely stands out from the others, simply because, as the name suggests, it is a not a “vibrating” massager, but rather a “thumping” percussive action one. This Thumper mini pro is their 2016 offering, and it is a “POWERFUL” massager, probably one of the most powerful ones available on the market, because in the difference in the way it massages. It is generally used for professional use, but if you can afford one, this would be one of my top choices for an electric handheld massager. It isnt made in the far East,manufacturingg country is Canada.

Only Percussive Massager in Affordable Range

Can be used on most areas safely

REAL deep massager

Probably the most powerful hand held in the market

It has variable speed settings allowing you to control the stroke and pulse.

How Effective is Massage?

Whether you believe it or not, your back is one of the most crucial elements of your physiology. As such, it is quite important to take care of it and treat it as well as you can, whether its not putting undue stress on it, or learning how to ease the tension or pressure built up from physical work, incorrect posture, bad sitting habits and even long motorway drives!

It is quite important to feel relaxed after a days work, unfortunately those of us who work in stressful jobs or physically exacting jobs, be it at home or at the office, often find that we can often be out of sorts, with a toll being placed on our backs and shoulders. Now, I wouldn’t say that a back massage everyday is a great idea, but I would go so far as saying that getting one often enough would go a long way into relieving those stress related toxins built up in your body.

One of the ways I learnt to really help ease the tension and soreness in my back was to investigate the use of the right back massager – I could have used professionals, from physiotherapists to masseuse to chiropractors, but these options are for those who can afford them. I sadly cannot.

I totally understand that unless you are well off, you like myself, might not be able to afford professional help often. This is where a back massager comes in. Some of the tools that are available to buy are pretty good, and though not exactly a replacement for the real thing, do a pretty decent job.

Luckily, there are many types of back massagers available, from the small, cheap personal wands to the large fully seated, fully back body chairs.

I found it difficult to decide, and in the end did a lot of research that helped me pick, choose and try a range of back massagers. In the end I made so many notes, I thought I might as well write about what I found, read and tried over the years.

A word of warning: Although what I picked works for me, it is always advisable to see your GP or doctor, or a physiotherapist before you commit and over use a back massager, like anything else in life, abusing or using something in the wrong way can cause more harm than help.

PLEASE see a doctor, these reviews are based on my personal experience and DO NOT constitute health or medical advice of any kind.

Types of Back Massagers

Like I have mentioned earlier, there are quite a few choices when picking a back massager, and as a potential buyer, you should look beyond the price, it is absolutely crucial to understand what you want the product to do, and learn what others experiences are with said products. You should also try and learn about the different types of back massage modulations.

Handheld Massager

Electric Massager

Chair Massager

Plastic Massager

Shiatsu Massager

Trigger Point Massager

Belt Massagers

The trick is to learn how to pick the right one.

Get to Know Your Back Massagers

When we talk about back massagers, we usually think about purpose built devices that tackle the back (and sometimes the shoulder and lower neck). However, if you look for just a back massager, you may be missing out on some really good products that are designed for general purpose use, which means they can be used for most part of your body, including that ailing back.

On this page, I will look at the common types of massagers, and how to go about picking the right one too suit your physical and financial needs.

The main types of massagers are:

Handheld Massagers

These cross over into static objects that you or a friend / partner would use on the back. Some handheld massagers would also be crossing over into electric and vibrating massagers.

Electric Massagers

Pretty much anything that needs a battery or a charger or has to be plugged into a power source falls into this category.

Chair Massagers

The name is quite self explanatory really, but the range in these massagers are extreme, from price to quality to areas worked, so make sure you pick the right chair massager.

Cushion Massagers

These nifty little back massagers are pretty awesome, because while they arent as cheap as the hand held massagers, they arent as expensive as full on dedicated chair massagers, and can be used in a range of settings, from sitting at home, while driving a car, or even working in the office. For a decent cheap option, consider the right cushion massager.

Shiatsu Massagers

“Shiatsu” is taken from a Japanese words “shi,” meaning “finger”, combined with “atsu,” representing “pressure”. As such Shiatsu massage, is commonly applied massage, based on traditional Japanese massage techniques, where the bodies Chi is massaged along the “meridians”. Shiatsu massagers are built on these techniques and are usually set to mimic a Shiatsu pressure massage.

Trigger Point Massagers

These are tools to massage muscle knots or “trigger points” which painful patches of muscles. These are geared to work on such knotty muscular areas of your body, in particular your neck, shoulder and back.

Belt Massagers

Not all massagers are made to reduce strain and pain, some such as belt massagers are used as a slimming aid. Do they work? Some people swear by them, others arent so sure. Either way – do not use for relaxation!

Massage Shower

You may not have realised, but there are a number of showers and shower heads have massage capabilities via the power of water. Personally I think every household should have one of these. I do.

Vibrating Massagers

Vibrating back massagers are a parent set of most mechanical massagers, from hand held wands to large dedicated chair massagers.